Kerr, James, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1844 for planter James Kerr, this Greek Revival plantation house sits under large oaks on the road from Kerr to Ivanhoe in southern Sampson County. It is attributed to Kenansville carpenter Isaac B. Kelly. The weatherboarded house has two and a half stories, a center-hall front block and a deep rear ell. A double-tier pillared porch with an uncommon shed roof marks the entrance. Inside, the north parlor mantel carries a vigorous local marbleized finish that the nomination says has no equal among the county's surviving examples. Several eight-panel doors are also unusual. The house is tied to Black River transportation. James Kerr's son John Daniel Kerr owned the steamer Delta and ran it to Wilmington until its boiler exploded in 1887. The family also kept a private landing on the river. The nominated acreage includes the house, a detached kitchen, a large smokehouse and the landing site, and remains in farm use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the finer plantation houses in the county and one of only two surviving houses attributed to Kelly. It is especially notable for a vigorously marbleized parlor mantel and an uncommon shed-roofed double porch. It is also tied to Black River riverboating through John Daniel Kerr and his steamer Delta, and to the family's private river landing.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86000563, listed March 17, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1005 S of SR 1007, Kerr |
|---|---|
| County | Sampson County |
| Listed | March 17, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000563 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Isaac B. Kelly (attributed) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in good condition; the property is still farmed, with the rural setting preserved. |
| Acreage | 282.4 |
| Coordinates | 34.65086, -78.25853 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86000563.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19864294
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.